What Role Did P-38 Lightnings Play In The Pacific Theater During WW2?

The National Air and Space Museum calls the P-38 Lightning “one of the most successful twin-engine fighters ever flown by any nation.” During American involvement in World War II, the US Army Air Force flew P-38s in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific. They were also extensively used in aerial reconnaissance, and they are credited with around 90% of American aerial film taken over Europe during the conflict. America’s top ace pilot of the war, Richard Bong, stored 40 victories flying his P-38 against the Japanese.